Collaboration
Platforms must encourage collaboration.
Older solutions might allow staff members to view information or to perform certain tasks, but too often, it's strictly a one-to-one interaction. There's no sharing or collaboration baked into the solution. Most workers understand the benefits of being able to share and edit documents, and move ideas through the company faster and accurately. The generation now entering the workforce expects such sharing functionality (Google Docs, for example), and companies without modern collaborative tools will seem outdated to prospective employees.
SMB managers should perform their due diligence to judge if the gains that come from replacing an outdated solution with a modern alternative are worth the initial costs. If only one of the "warning signs" is applicable, the solution might be acceptable and could only need updates. Once several signs come together, it's time to consider a replacement solution that will boost productivity and collaboration.